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CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Demand for home hospice services rising faster than manpower, say providers
SINGAPORE: When 86-year-old Paul Wong was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer in January, he chose to spend the rest of his days in the comfort of his home. A year ago, his wife passed away from colorectal cancer at home with the support of Assisi Hospice's hospice home care service. 'I saw the care she received and I hope would be able to receive that too,' he told CNA. 'I've stayed here for over 40 years. I find the place quiet, and the neighbours are friendly. I hope to be comfortable and manage my pain.' His daughter and grandchildren also live nearby and visit him for meals and activities. Mr Wong is among a growing number in Singapore opting for palliative support at home. They have also gotten a boost from the government, which is looking to increase the availability of such end-of-life care. To help more people spend their final days the way they wish to, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has put in place a National Strategy for Palliative Care. Since its launch in 2023, home palliative care capacity has grown by 25 per cent, from 2,400 to 3,000 places. It is set to increase to 3,600 places by the end of this year. An equipment rental scheme that was put in place, which provides patients with subsidised essentials like hospital beds, has benefited more than 1,000 Singaporeans so far. Care providers said it is not just about infrastructure, but also having competent palliative care staff – and there is a shortage. HIRING STRUGGLES In fact, demand for such care is rising faster than manpower, with providers saying they need more trained staff to keep up. HCA Hospice Care, the nation's largest home hospice provider, said hiring is an ongoing issue. "One of the things I struggle with is to find the right people with the right heart to do this work,' said its medical director Dr Chong Poh Heng. 'It's not a terribly glamorous (job) to work in the home, in different settings, some of which are, in my opinion, not quite habitable,' Dr Chong added. 'But the patient is comfortable there, so within those limitations (we must) find the means to deliver the same quality of care to those patients and their families." The hospice looks after about 1,400 home patients and will soon increase capacity to take in more. Among its ways to manage manpower issues is enlisting the help of the patients' caregivers. "We teach (caregivers) some of the knowledge aspects, including hands on (care), hygiene care, serving of medication, sometimes giving injections too,' said Dr Chong. Family members also learn to prepare special food and manage appliances like oxygen concentrators or suction machines, he added. TRAINING TAKES YEARS One challenge in hiring is finding personnel with adequate skills and qualifications, as roles in the sector can take years to learn. Assisi Hospice said its staff nurses are trained for up to three years before they are fully competent and can deliver care effectively. It is the largest inpatient facility in Singapore, and is leveraging home care to meet growing demand. Its home caseload has grown nearly five-fold over the last decade to about 700 today. The figure is projected to reach 850 by late 2026. Aside from medical know-how, staff also need training to understand how to manage the mental and psychosocial needs of the patients and their families. 'Palliative care patients (are) very ill, with many comorbidities, different organs may not be functioning. They have been through a lot,' said the hospice's CEO Choo Shiu Ling. 'Their journey in the healthcare system would have been very long. They have a high complexity of needs. Their caregivers could be emotionally and financially exhausted,' she added. 'It is the nurses and the special skills of a palliative care team that can possibly address all these very complex (issues).' She said the hospice's priority is to train its healthcare staff well and continue to grow its home care team. 'Because we discover (that) when nurses are confident and competent, it aids retaining so they stay with us, and we actually have a very low or almost no attrition for our home care team,' noted Ms Choo. Assisi Hospice currently has 48 staff tending to end-of-life patients at home, and plans to grow the team to 60 by the end of next year. There are around nine providers in Singapore that specialise in home palliative care. The sector needs at least 20 to 30 per cent more home hospice staff as the population ages, warned the Singapore Hospice Council. Board member Mervyn Koh suggested adequate remuneration and recognition could attract more to the industry. With funding another key concern as home hospice is fully subsidised, he said he also expects such care to be chargeable in future. 'Chargeable doesn't mean expensive. If it is MediSave deductible, that may be the way to go in future to keep healthcare costs sustainable,' said Dr Koh, who is also a senior consultant of palliative medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. 'This will enable families to still (fulfil) the wishes of patients passing on at home without having to fork out cash by themselves.' He pointed out that most home hospice care providers are charity organisations, and it may be challenging to keep up free home care due to rising costs. "Policy makers can consider potentially opening up, say, MediShield Life to support home hospice care,' Dr Chong said. 'Currently, it can be used in the hospital, in inpatient hospice facilities, but it's not quite possible to use MediShield or insurance to pay for home care."
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thai princess being treated for severe infection, royal bureau says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Doctors treating the 46-year-old princess detected an infection in her bloodstream on Aug 9. BANGKOK – Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, who has been unconscious for nearly three years after collapsing due to a heart condition, is now being treated for a severe infection, the Bureau of the Royal Household said. Doctors treating the 46-year-old princess, the oldest of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's seven children, detected an infection in her bloodstream on Aug 9, the bureau said in a statement on Aug 15. She's been administered different types of antibiotics and other medication to stabilise her blood pressure levels, it said. The medical team at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok continues to provide full care and is closely monitoring the princess's condition, the bureau said. She was seen by some analysts as a potential heir to the throne, which would make her the first female monarch of Thailand. King Vajiralongkorn, 73, has not appointed an heir since taking the throne in 2016. The princess has been put on medical equipment to support the functions of her lungs and kidneys since her collapse in December 2022, according to the bureau. Doctors have occasionally detected infections, for which antibiotics have periodically been administered, the palace said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault halts trains Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line Since she became ill, the princess' portraits have been shown in public places in the South-east Asian nation, with messages wishing her a speedy recovery. Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who has a law degree from Cornell University, served as a diplomat to Austria and held roles at UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. She has also served in the Attorney-General's Office and holds the rank of general in the king's Royal Security Command unit. Bloomberg
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
Cordlife sets aside S$500,000 for enhanced compensation package to affected customers
SINGAPORE: Cordlife has set aside S$500,000 (US$389,500) for an enhanced compensation package for affected customers following its mishandling of cord blood units. In a regulatory filing on its financial results for the first half of 2025, the private cord blood bank said late on Thursday (Aug 14) that the compensation package formed part of several one-off costs recorded for the first six months of the year. Cordlife added that it had also incurred S$200,000 in costs related to the testing of more than 200 samples of cord blood units (CBU) from five storage tanks deemed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to be at "low risk" of being adversely affected. The company agreed to the testing in April 2024, which it said would take approximately a year to complete, before reviewing the results with MOH experts. In an update on Thursday, Cordlife said the "comprehensive and independent" review is expected to be completed in or around the later part of 2025. As part of the enhanced package, announced on Jul 10, affected customers will have their existing cord blood storage period extended - at no additional cost - until their child turns 26. The package was announced after Cordlife held a series of online and in-person townhalls in late June to engage with affected customers. It has since expanded the warranty clause to cover more situations. If the stored cord blood unit is needed by the donor or a biological sibling (and it is a suitable match) but cannot be used for an approved stem cell transplant because it does not meet the required quality standards - and if the company also cannot find a suitable replacement cord blood unit - it will pay the affected customer S$50,000. In June, Cordlife said in a regulatory filing that around 56 per cent of affected Cordlife customers had accepted refund offers made by the company. The offers comprised a refund of the annual fees paid by affected clients from the onset of the "temperature excursion". Its mishandling of cord blood units was first made public on Nov 30, 2023, when MOH revealed that investigations were ongoing. Seven tanks storing cord blood units were exposed to temperatures above acceptable limits. About 2,200 cord blood units were found damaged in one of the tanks, affecting at least 2,150 clients. In April last year, it was announced that another 5,300 cord blood units in a second tank and dry shipper were deemed "non-viable". LETTERS OF DEMAND Some affected customers have decided to take legal action against the company. In a separate bourse update on the matter on Thursday, Cordlife said it had received on Jul 31 a letter of demand from a law firm acting for a group of affected clients. This group is claiming damages for breach of contract and negligence. The company added that total customer claims amount to about S$8.7 million, representing less than 10 per cent of its net asset value as of Jun 30. Cordlife previously said it had received on Mar 28 two letters of demand from lawyers acting for two groups of affected clients. One of the groups is claiming damages for breach of contract and negligence, while the other group is requesting compensation for costs, among other warranties and undertakings from Cordlife. The company received its first letter of demand in May last year, while two other announcements were made on Aug 15, 2024 and Mar 1 on the same matter. ACCREDITATION, IMPROVED FINANCIALS Cordlife also said on Thursday it is working closely with the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) to restore its accreditations for its Singapore operations. In December 2023, it lost its cellular therapy accreditation with FACT. The suspension will last indefinitely, "at a minimum until FACT's investigations are completed and issues are resolved", Cordlife then said. AABB followed suit in August last year, with the international blood bank body withdrawing Cordlife's accreditation for the collection, processing, storage and distribution of cord blood. On its financial results for the first half of this year, the company reported revenue of S$19.4 million - more than double the S$9.2 million it earned in the same period last year. Cordlife mainly attributed the increase in revenue to the full resumption of Singapore operations in January, after being suspended for almost nine months. The company's gross profit also rose to S$10.9 million in the first half of 2025, up from S$1.4 million in the corresponding period a year ago. Cordlife said it remains "cautiously optimistic" that financial performance will improve, driven by the resumption of Singapore operations, ongoing efforts at actively addressing outstanding issues and the "long-term growth potential" of the cord blood banking industry. Said Cordlife group CEO and executive director Chen Xiaoling: 'We continue to see new business opportunities, and have been investing in our sales and marketing efforts to restore customer confidence and grow our sales pipeline back to pre-incident levels.
